Cinderella: A Tale Told Wrong
by Zonela
Summary: Jellal had always dreamed of a better life, but once he gets the chance to go to the royal ball to seek out that new life, he is stopped by his stepfamily. With the help of a fairy godmother and her assistants, his dreams are sure to come true, right?
1. Chapter 1: Castle of Dreams

**This is a gift for my friend Scarls (scarlsblack tumblr com).**

 **Enjoy. :)**

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"Jellal!"

"Jellal!

"Jellal!"

That was all he heard all day and night long, the sound of a tiny bell and his name being called out. He was constantly running around his stepfather's large mansion severing the three who resided there. He was forced to serve to their every need and want. He prepared their meals, he cleaned up their messes, he took care of their nasty cat, and for what? A crappy room up in the cold attic and their table scraps? Yes. He did all of this hard work for barely nothing in return because he had nowhere else to go. His father died when he was little, leaving his mother to remarry later on in life, only to also pass on and leave him to these crazy people.

There were his two step sisters, Ultear and Meredy, and his stepfather, Hades (great name for a stepfather, right?). He defiantly lived up to that name because out of the three of them, he was the one that made Jellal's life a living hell. He was the one that shoved him up in the attic and he was the one that refused to let him eat meals with them unless all the house work was done. Ultear and Meredy just enjoyed teasing him more than anything else, plus, they just followed what their father said, he knew that they weren't that cruel deep, deep, _deep_ down.

He had finally finished scrubbing all of the wood and stone floors, and he leaned up against the wall of the store room just to rest for one simple minute. Then, to his disappointment, one of the bells that was resting up against a wooden plaque rang, calling him to the dining room. There was a bell for each room of the house, and each bell had a corresponding string in which would be pulled to make the bell ring, drawing Jellal's attention to that very spot.

"Oh…" he sighed, "It must be time for dinner." He left the store room and hurried to the dining room for Hades hated waiting, and Jellal never liked being in the same room with him once he was irritated.

To his bad fortune, Hades was _very_ vexed that day, "Jellal!" he yelled while pounding his fist on the table, "Where is my dinner!?" he was sitting at the end of the long, extravagant dining room table, wearing a dark expression.

"Sorry sir, I was too busy cleaning the floors. I'll get started on it right away. What would you like?" he asked politely, trying his best not to further aggravate the man.

He growled, "I picked up some fish on my way home from my _very_ stressful job," he pointed in the direction of the kitchen, "I put it on the counter. Cook it up for me, and make sure to pack it full of flavor! I don't want my hard earned money to be wasted on a tasteless meal!"

Jellal nodded, "Yes, of course sir."

He stepped through the opening to the kitchen and looked down at the supplies lied out for him on the counter. He picked up one of the many large kitchen knives, preparing to cut the fish in the desirable manner. Then, he heard Hades' voice yelling at his daughters to come down to the dining room. Jellal looked at the sharp blade with wide, unblinking eyes, and then leaned over to see Hades' smug face as he read a book.

Jellal lifted the knife, ready to throw it at the bastard, but then he grabbed his wrist to lower his hand, and he took a deep breath, "One day, Jellal. One day, but today is _not_ that day."

"What are you murmuring about over there!?" Hades yelled.

Jellal leaned over again so that Hades could get a good view of him, "Oh nothing, sir!" Jellal shot him a fake smile.

As he began preparing the meal, he was scratched by what he saw as the most _disgusting_ cat on the face of the planet. The cat was extremely fat white cat with a messy tuff of black hair on his head. The cat's name was Kain Hikaru, but they mostly just called him Kain. Jellal never quite understood why they gave him such a long name, but in the long run in didn't even matter to Jellal for he just called that cat whatever harsh name came to mind.

The cat tugged on his pants, and Jellal growled, "Get out of here, fatso! I'm their slave not yours!" he fell silent, realizing what he had just called himself. Then, he pointed the knife at the cat, making the cat run away while meowing loudly. Jellal shivered in disgust, "I hate that damn cat, and I hate this damn house, and Hades, and my life…" he paused and reflected on how his life turned out to be like this in the first place, but he shook the thoughts out of his head and continued his cooking.

Once Jellal had finished seasoning and cooking their meal to Hades' desire, he placed it on the decorative plates that his stepfamily owned, and headed out to the dining room. Jellal placed the plates gently in front of his stepfather on the table in front of him, "Here you are," he paused, "shithead," he groaned under his breath.

"What was that!?" he howled, glaring sharply at the bluenette.

He titled his head, pretending to be confused and innocent, "I didn't say anything, sir. You might be hearing things… Are you feeling okay?" Even though Jellal had asked that, he personally really didn't care how Hades felt. He could be dying on the floor for all he cared.

The old man grunted, "Well, I wouldn't be surprised if I was getting sick from all the hard work I do all day long, six days a week."

"You've been overworking yourself," Meredy started, "you are getting to old to work as hard as you do now." she sounded concerned for her father's health, but at the same time, she had a nagging tone of voice, almost as though she was giving him hints that she wanted him to retire sometime soon.

 _Oh! OH! You're getting sick from working? Really? You are saying that right to my face?_ Jellal masked his anger behind another fake smile, but he felt as though one of the veins on his forehead was going to burst any second.

"Hey, Jellal!" Ultear called which made Jellal snap out of his outraged thoughts. He turned his gaze towards the black-haired girl, "Meredy and I are going to the marketplace tomorrow morning, and we need your assistance."

He raised a brow, "Okay…?" He was unsure why those two would need his help outside of household work, but he knew that he didn't have a choice or say in the matter of where he was needed because of the power they held over him. He really hated himself for letting them take advantage of him like that, but the time he had to fix his situation slowly dwindled with each passing day.

"Why are you just standing there?" Hades snarled, "I highly doubt that you are done with the housework! You never are!"

Jellal sighed, "Yes… sorry sir, I'll get going on that." He was never done because as soon as he finished or got close to finishing, the three of them would just pile more chores up for him. If they were only able to keep something clean for at least five minutes, he wouldn't have this problem.

The three of them talked and laughed, he cleaned the dirt and dust out of every nook and cranny that house had. Long after his stepfamily had fallen asleep, he had still been cleaning the ashes out of their hearth for it hadn't been cleaned in a while due the cold weather, but now that summer was around the corner, it needed to be spotless like the rest of the house, since it wasn't going to be used for the next couple of months. Lucky for him, he would have one less chore to take care of once summer came. He really hated being covered in ashes from mending the fire all winter long, and what made it worse was Ultear and Meredy would sometimes call him Cinderall.

Once he was finally done, he headed back up the infinite spiral staircase, and up to what was home to him. Yes the attic was cold and maybe not the most habitable place to be, but at least he was alone. He was completely free up there, no bells, no cats, no stepfather or stepsisters calling his name. The best part of the attic though was the window; it was a large glass window that had a ledge for him to sit on, and the view was absolutely gorgeous. Off in the distance, he could see the beautiful silver and blue castle that had golden lights pouring out of every window. He loved to place his gaze upon the castle; there had been times that he's looked at it almost all night long. That castle represented everything that he dreamed about: a better life. Oh, how he wished he could get out of this place and go live a fulfilled life somewhere else, but he made a promise to his mother to help those in need, including his stepfamily. He wanted to help them become better people, even though that hasn't turned out well for him in the long run. He was sure that eventually, the darkness in their hearts would surely be destroyed if he tried hard enough.

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 **Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! It was mostly just introducing Jellal and his shitty life, so I promise it will get more exciting later. :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Fabric

The marketplace was as busy and booming as ever. People flooded the streets to see both the new and old shops. There were many buildings that had always been there and always sold the basic things that the people needed, but the streets were always filled with booths and carpets placed on the ground that were just there temporarily for a traveler trying to sell what they had brought from other countries, or it was just a small local business trying to make some money. The marketplace always had something for everybody, whether they just came around to stock up on food or were interested in clothes from exotic countries they had never laid eyes on before.

The vexed Jellal walked behind the giddy Ultear and Meredy as he carried the surplus of goods in many different colored paper bags. They bought what seemed like everything in sight: clothes, jewelry, decorations, fine china, etc. He understood why they wanted his assistance now- they wanted to spend every dime they owned on fatuous things so that this would seem less like a chore to restock their home with fresh food and more like a shopping trip, and of course, they needed someone to use as their mule to carry their new possessions and follow them wherever they went.

Ultear turned her head slightly behind her, "Oi! Jellal! Is there anything that you want?" she asked calmly as she glanced at the nearby shops with greedy and wanting eyes.

"Sorry, could you repeat that? I haven't heard those words in so long, that I must have forgotten the meaning of them!" he said with a snarky tone, believing that she was just teasing him like she always did.

Ultear stopped in her tracks, which forced Jellal to stop as well, and people began to walk around them for now they were blocking part of the street. She shot him a glare, "Hey! I'm trying to be nice here!" she shouted while placing a hand on her hip.

"Stop being so rude!" Meredy commanded, stomping her foot on the ground angrily.

He let out a soft laugh, "Sorry. I just couldn't help myself. I thought you were teasing me, so I decided to tease back. I didn't mean to come off as rude." He felt more comfortable around these two than Hades. These two were cruel, but not _nearly_ as cruel as their father; they saw Jellal in a more of a friendly way rather than as a slave like Hades. They only took pleasure in teasing and manipulating him.

Ultear's eyes narrowed in annoyance, "Well? Is there?"

Jellal titled his head upwards slightly and thought for a moment. He actually wasn't quite sure. What he really wanted was maybe some time off and maybe his freedom, but he knew that wasn't going to happen unless he killed Hades, and he didn't want to become a criminal, so that wish was destroyed. Lost in thought, he looked down and noticed his ragged and filthy clothes. Due to how much work he was given, he barely ever had the chance to clean them, or replace them for that matter.

He looked back up at his stepsisters, "I wouldn't mind having some fabric," he shrugged, unable to come up with anything else that he wanted.

"For what?" Ultear questioned.

"To make some new clothes to wear," Jellal slightly tugged on his pants to show all the holes and tears in them.

Meredy let out a soft giggle, "You know we can just buy you new clothes, right? You don't have to make them."

Jellal shook his head once, "Nah, it's fine. I enjoy sewing… you know… when I actually have the time for it," he said with an annoyed and displeased voice as he thought of Hades' slave work keeping him busy. The two of them couldn't help but laugh for sewing wasn't something they would expect a man to know how to do, let alone find joy in. Jellal clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes angrily, "What? Is it wrong of me to have a hobby?" he growled.

Ultear pulled herself together and a shot him a small mocking grin, "Alright, if that's really what you want. Let's go, the supply shop is little ways down." She began to walk forward again, allowing traffic to go back to the way it was before as Meredy and Jellal quickly followed to catch up.

Once they got there, Jellal noticed that the shop was much larger than most of the ones surrounding it. The boutique sold everything from animal feed to cleaning supplies to small trinkets that would be used to decorate one's home. It certainly had all the supplies one would need to take care of their home as well as fulfill their hobbies.

"We'll be looking around," Ultear took ahold of some of the bags Jellal had been holding on his forearms, while Meredy took the rest, "Let us know when you are ready to go."

"How much am I allowed to have?" he asked with the hopes that she wouldn't place any limitations so he could just drown himself in the many different textures of fabric.

She shrugged as she looked at a set of white dinner plates with pink and green flower designs on the edges, "I don't know. As much as you need," she paused and looked at him with sharp eyes, "but don't go crazy!" she snapped.

He nodded as he tried to act professional about it, but in reality, he was screaming with joy on the inside, "Yes ma'am!" He walked quickly over to the where the fabrics were, trying not to look like a five year old who had just been told that he can buy as much candy as he desired. He grabbed a great deal of black, white, and blue fabric for he preferred wearing those colors, but he ended up seizing some red and yellow while he was there. He figured that he should take advantage of this situation because he knew that he probably won't ever get another chance like this. Once he had finished, he grabbed Ultear's attention by tapping her on the shoulder lightly, holding up the fabrics he carries in his arms as his eyes sparkled and a large grin ran across his cheeks. They left the store once the fabrics and other trinkets the girls just couldn't resist to pick up were purchased by a sweet, apologetic pink haired girl who worked at the cash register.

Jellal had thanked Ultear in a whisper so many times she ended up smacking him and telling him to shut his trap. He was truly happy though; he hadn't had any of the proper supplies needed to sew, so he hadn't gotten the chance to since his mother passed. But, just to his luck, his joy was quickly killed when he got home to find Hades had come home early. He wanted nothing more than to just go home and make some new clothes for himself, but he should have guessed that the devil he lives with would never have allowed him to enjoy himself for once.

"Jellal!" he barked, "We're having guests over tonight, so you better make sure that this house is spotless!" he walked up to him and got way too close for the bluenette's comfort, "If I see one stain, one dirty dish, one spec of dirt, I will have my hand at you. Are we clear?" his voice was frightening, almost as if lightning had just struck directly next to Jellal's feet, making his ribcage shake and his heart burst from the sound of the thunder crackling one second later.

He swallowed nervously before he answered, sweat running down his cheek, "Y-yes sir…" he averted his eyes away from the dark and sinister eyes staring down at him. He had hoped that the house was clean enough for him to be able to relax for a little while and put his new fabric to good use, but he knew that wasn't even an option anymore. After cleaning the house day after day, he would imagine that was already spotless, but his stepfamily always dirtied the house seconds after he had cleaned it. They wouldn't talk off their muddy shoes when they were coming inside, they would never clean their plates up after they were finished eating, and they would drag stuff out of their rooms and shelves only to leave it out for him to put away. He was truly getting sick of this life that has been given to him.

His back, knees, and hands all ached from the day's work. He planted himself down in the nearest chair he could find, which happened to be in the dining room where he was never allowed unless he was serving a meal, in fact, he couldn't remember the last time he even sat at the table, or if he ever did to begin with. He rested his head on the table, becoming lost in the thoughts of his mother and when his stepfamily first came into the picture. He remembered that Hades always loved having company over to show off his riches, just like he was preparing to do now; nothing about Hades had changed. His eyelids started to become heavy from exhaustion, making him slowly drift off into a well-deserved slumber.

"Jellal?" a sweet voice called out to him as he lied on the couch, lost in the book he was currently reading. "Jellal?" the voice called out once more, this time grabbing his attention, pulling him out of the fantasies of the book.

He lifted his head to see his loving and gentle mother standing at the entrance to their living room, "Yes?" he responded politely.

She took a seat on the armchair across from him, "Sorry, am I interrupting a good part?" she asked, letting out a tiny giggle that could make anyone smile.

He sat up and took off his reading classes, gently setting them on the edge of the clear glass table in front of him, "Actually, yes you are," he paused and looked at her slightly saddened face before he grinned, "but I've read it before, so I know what happens."

She giggled again, only this time louder and more loving as she played with the fake dark blue rose that she always placed in her hair, "Well then, it must be a rather fantastic book if it is worth reading twice."

"It's my third time reading it actually," he corrected.

She smiled once more before her thought wandered elsewhere, making her smile drop. She averted her eyes away from her son, and spoke with a concerned voice, "Jellal, sweetheart… there is something I must discuss with you."

"What is it, mother?" Jellal titled his head slightly, a bit concerned.

She looked down at her hands while she twiddled her thumbs, "I believe it is time for us to add a new chapter in our story," she paused long enough for Jellal to understand where she was going with that statement, but not long enough for him to reply, "I've met someone who shares the same grief we have. We both need help when it comes to financial problems…"

"But what about your shop?" Jellal asked before his window to speak closed again, "And the money Father left us?" His mother owned a shop full of clothes she made by hand, and his father had travelled all around the continent transporting goods and trading, which meant he was gone quite often, but he made sure that they had the support they needed.

She sighed, "Even with that… it has been getting more and more difficult to pay for everything we need."

He turned his gaze away from his mother, "Even so… marrying for money doesn't seem…" he paused, unable to find the words he was looking for. He released a saddened exhale, "Doesn't it seem a bit dishonorable?"

"I've discussed the matter with him, and we both feel that we need the support as well as some company. Expand the family."

Jellal stood and walked over to his mother and kneeled before her. He wrapped his hands around hers which were lying on her lap. He looked up at her, "Don't worry, mother. I will support you in your decisions, so there is no need to ask for my approval," he smiled, "Be kind and have courage, right?"

His mother beamed at that saying, for their family had been passing down those words for generations; they lived by it. She pulled him into a hug as they both laughed joyfully, "He is a good man, and he has two daughters around your age. You guys can keep each other company."

It was only one short week later that the new additions to the family moved in. Jellal and his mother were standing by the entrance to their home as a beautiful, black painted carriage with lavish gold designs and golden wheels came through their small gates and around the fountain in their front yard. Then, a man who looked nothing like Jellal had imagined stepped out of the coach. He had long white hair that was neatly combed back, out of his face, a white mustache, and an extensive white beard that hung down all the way to the end of his abdomen. He wore a black coat with white fur on the edges, a dark red undershirt, white trousers, and one black eyepatch that covered his right eye. He walked with a long staff in his hands, clanking it on that ground with each step he took. This was no other than Hades Precht Gaebolg, and he knew how to wear his grief wonderfully.

His daughters followed him out of the carriage, and Jellal remembered that his mother had told him earlier that the one with black hair was Ultear, and the one with pink hair was Meredy. Ultear wore a plain white dress with a matching hair band, while Meredy wore a gold and pink strapless dress with her hair tied up with a red bow. They both had eyes that were full of great kindness, but they were also the kind of eyes that could kill somebody with one stare. It frightened Jellal slightly when they first glanced at him, but it didn't seem that they were glaring at him, it seemed as though they were trying to judge him.

They walked up to the bluenettes, who greeted them with a formal, but simple and welcoming bow. Hades and his daughters responded by doing the same. "Thank you for having us," Hades stated with a sincere smile.

His mother giggled, "It is a pleasure to have you!"

"Please, let us show you around," Jellal said to finish his mother's thought while moving aside, and pointed his hands towards the doors as a gesture to come in. Hades nodded, and opened the doors, taking the first step into their house, and into their lives.

Jellal's eyes shot open. He lifted his head off the dining table and yawned. He sighed, "So… it was just a dream?" he rubbed his drowsy eyes, still unaware of his current surroundings.

"Jellal!" he heard an angry voice call out to him from the far side of the house, "Come here and take our guests coats when they walk through the door!" he demanded, his voice echoing all throughout the rooms and halls.

Jellal closed his eyes once more, not registering what he had just heard. Then, he shot up out of his chair, "Wait!" Jellal's eye twitched, "Dammit! This isn't a dream!" he growled disappointedly, wishing that all of this slavery work he had been put to was just all some bad dream he was having. He then stalked angrily out of the dining room and to where the front doors were. There, he saw Hades impatiently tapping his foot on the ground with his arms crossed, "Yes sir? What is it?" he said with an unfriendly tone, but Hades was too concentrated on his guests that were getting closer and closer to their house.

"Open the door for my guests, and Take their coats and put them in _this_ closet!" he pointed at the small room that they were standing in front of, which wasn't far from the front door, "Got it?" he glared sharply at Jellal who nodded with a straight face, "Good," the white haired man turned away from him and began walking down the hall. Then, he suddenly stopped and slightly turned his head to look back at Jellal, "Be polite to my guests and do what I say, and I'll let you off for the rest of the night."

Jellal's eyes widened with joy as if someone just offered him the riches of the king, "Yes sir!" he said enthusiastically while lifting his hand to his forehead in solute to Hades.

It was only moments later when guests began to pour in. Jellal bowed to them slightly with his hand directed across his abdomen, "Please, allow me to take your coat," he said with a fake smile while the guests gladly handed him their coats. He hung several coats over his forearm, waiting for a chance to place them in the closet, but then, to his displeasure, Kain came and scratched his ankle. He growled at the cat before he picked it up and quickly threw it in the closet and slammed the door behind him. He shook his head with disgust, "Damn stupid piece of trash!" he said under his breath before smiling once again at another guest.

After several minutes of letting guests in, he was finally free for the night. He made his way up the spiral stairs and up into the attic where he closed the door, and sighed with joyful relief. He walked over to where he had placed his previously bought fabric, and prepared his sewing supplies. This was sure nostalgic; he hadn't gotten the chance to sew ever since his dear mother passed. He used to help her make clothes all the time, even though he wasn't _nearly_ as skilled as she was, he was still pretty decent at it; he hoped that he wasn't too rusty. He begun to make the pattern for a new shirt while sitting of the ledge of his large window, letting the moon and the brightly lit castle that was still in a clear view given its distance give him the light he needed.

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 **I hope you all enjoyed the second chapter! The first couple chapters will be a bit slow, so I apologize for that, but it'll become more exciting later! :)**


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